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Hoverboard Likely to Blame for Fire That Killed Family's 2 Dogs

Fire officials said a hoverboard is likely to blame for the fire that destroyed a home Tuesday in Santa Rosa, California, killing the family's two dogs. Jodi Hernandez reports. (Published Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016)

Fire officials said a hoverboard is likely to blame for the fire that destroyed a home Tuesday in Santa Rosa, California, killing the family's two dogs.

No one was home when fire broke out Tuesday evening on East Foothill Drive. Firefighters tried in vain to resuscitate the dogs.

Asst. Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal said the hoverboard, identified Wednesday as an A3 Original Transboard, was found in the bedroom. The hoverboard, Lowenthal said, contained a lithium-ion battery, which can spark and smoke when it leaks.

Although firefighters had the blaze under control within about 15 minutes, Lowenthal said the fire caused up to $250,000 in damage to the home.

Fire officals said Wednesday the department planned to forward its report to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the federal agency now investigating 39 hoverboard fires in 19 states including one just before Christmas in Contra Costa County. Commission spokeswoman Patty Davis said of those, seven of the fires were reported in California. When the Santa Rosa fire becomes part of the official investigation, the number of investigations will rise to 40.

The safety commission offers tips on avoiding hoverboard fires, such as looking for a mark of certification from a national testing laboratory on device's package or battery.

The CPSC released a list Wednesday of 13 hoverboard manufacturers it is actively investigating. The A3 Original Transboard was not on that list. The agency is also testing hoverboard models at its national testing center.

A separate statement from the CPSC chairman commended Amazon for offering full refunds on certain brands.